Are refillable pods for Dolce Gusto coffee machines any good?

SRH_2
SRH_2 Posts: 134 Forumite
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in Gone off!
One of my cousins was given a Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine last Christmas but, as she doesn't drink coffee, she has kindly given it to me (she wouldn't take any money for it but we've agreed I'll give a £20 donation to a charity for her, which is nice).

There is a mini-selection of the coffee pods with it which are nice, but I'd really like to be able to use my own ground coffee with it (not cheap but it's my weekend treat to have a big pot of coffee in bed so I've got a few different ones in my cupboard). I've also found the pods to be sweetened, which is horrible.

I've seen refillable pods for sale online and wondered if anyone had tried them? Do they actually work? Can you recommend any good places to buy them?
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Comments

  • SRH_2
    SRH_2 Posts: 134 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Hmmmmm... on second look it doesn't look like refillable pods exist for the Dolce Gusto after all. Grrrrrrrr.
  • frugal_shopper_2
    frugal_shopper_2 Posts: 513 Forumite
    The original pods can be refilled but it can be fiddly to do so, plenty of videos about showing hot to do it such as:
    http://youtu.be/XO-CKLJLuIM
    If you register the machine you will get a £10 voucher to use in their online shop which can go towards the cost of the overpriced coffee pods.
    https://www.dolce-gusto.co.uk/EN/registration/Pages/registration.aspx

    If I recall correctly the sweetener is only added to the creamer pods so skipping them & adding milk instead would be the easiest way to avoid it if you continue to use the machine. Alternately pass the machine on to someone who actually likes the stuff they claim is coffee & let them waste their money on refills instead while you go back to whichever method you used to make proper coffee before.
  • SRH_2
    SRH_2 Posts: 134 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Ha ha! Thanks for the advice. I took it and signed up on the website to get my free £10 worth. The couple of samples I've already tried were hit and miss. The Americano was rather good but the milk in the latte etc is horribly sweet, which is rubbish. As such I've ordered just Americano and Espresso so that I can add my own milk. Suspect it will mainly get used when I have guests as it does add nice froth and has the novelty value too.
  • jenster
    jenster Posts: 505 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary
    i was looking at one of these machines as a Christmas present to myself via hubby of course LOL but i too priced up the pods and wondered if it was worth it
    and maybe i;ll pass then
  • meer53
    meer53 Posts: 10,217 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I've been looking at them too as a gift for my son for Xmas. Lo and behold at work on Monday, Tassimo turned up with their T20 machine for £35 !! Result ! I won't be buying the discs so i'm not worried about the cost ! Although as a treat i don't suppose they're that bad.
  • frosty
    frosty Posts: 1,169 Forumite
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    The skinny latte is nice not as sweet as the normal one.
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,653 Forumite
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    We have one in the house,not purchased by me. It got some use them got stuffed in the cupboard along with the bread maker and other similar devices. I personally didnt rate the quality of the drinks and i think you'd be far better off with a coffee perculator and your favourite coffee..

    As for the OP...maybe bang it on Ebay as it could be a good time to get rid?
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • SRH_2
    SRH_2 Posts: 134 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Thanks everyone. I've asked my OH for a milk frother for Christmas (Boden - £20 - and too frivolous a price to buy for myself!) and will use that with my old faithful cafettiere and the Americano Dolce Gusto pods on occation as despite the price, it's much easier to clean than my caffetiere.
  • Idiophreak
    Idiophreak Posts: 12,024 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    SRH wrote: »
    it's much easier to clean than my caffetiere.

    Convenience is definitely the main advantage of the DG machine.

    I don't mind most of the coffees (as I have a bit of a sweet tooth anyway) and I really quite like a couple of the espressos and the caramel lates especially...

    The strength of the thing is that you press on, grab a pod and cup, flick the lever, wait 30 seconds, then enjoy your coffee and stick the mug in the dishwasher...no waiting, no mess...

    If I was after a "treat", I wouldn't recommend it...but as a lazy alternative to putting the kettle on, I think it's great.
  • jbro
    jbro Posts: 898 Forumite
    I've just rediscovered my old Italian stove-top espresso maker and bought some bargain packs of Segafredo coffee from B and M. To be honest, I don't think you can beat the quality.
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